Well shit, we just had a fantastic time at 80/35 music festival in our hometown of Des Moines on Saturday! We formed the greatest backup choir ever in the history of pop music (get the shirt here) and generally just got nasty with loads of new friends! Here's a vid of that choir just killing it (thanks, Dylan Boyle):

Plus, it was just the third show with our new guitarist Andrew Raes, who slayed so hard it led Chicago blog Music-Defined to say:

"these dudes can play. Especially the lead guitarist, who was ripping off solos like a hustler playing three-card Monte." -Full Review and Pics Here

The show is decently summed up by this run of tweets (thanks, lovers):

There's also a video of me covering David Ackles and Bob Dylan in a post-show solo set for Iowa Public Radio right here.

Ok, moving on: I wrote an article for Smithsonian Folkways Magazine! Seriously, my nerd levels are bubbling over. It's called I Want the Signals, Not the Static: Tuning In To Traditional Music, and I guess I'm really proud of it. Haha, it's crazy to me that I even got to do this. Anyway, it's about the challenges musical artists face in communicating a unique perspective through the haze of music marketing. It also features some amazing Smithsonian music embedded for ya and really nice photos of me at home, in Italy, and more, all by my friends! I have to give major props to my editor Joan Hua at Smithsonian for helping me finish it! It started as a pretty big mess. Thanks, Joan! Read it here.

I've got more shows coming up soon, including in Iowa City and Chicago. Dates here.

You can pre-order my new live album right now (do it and get a bad ass fine art portrait of yourself!). Click here.

You can order tickets to the live album release show now. It'll take place on a million-dollar piano at Salisbury House in Des Moines, Iowa. Tickets are limited. Order here.

I have a really cool podcast. It's called Conquered 4 Life. It's about art and life and stuff. Listen to it! My friend Eddie Fieg (who is a fantastic graphic designer and illustrator) designed the logo and also just stayed with me all weekend and gave me a copy of his first book, which he just published! Love ya, Eddie.